Scarecrows and chocolate

When I think of hotbeds of chocolate goodness, a few cities come to mind: Paris, New York, San Francisco. Vancouver’s nice and all, and there are some interesting chocolate makers here, but I don’t think we have quite the reputation as other cities.

But how about Kansas City? Erm. I hear there are wizards and scarecrows there. Or maybe that’s just Kansas in general.

Kansas City is also home to Christopher Elbow, who makes exquisite chocolates. The flavours are clear and pronounced, but still elegant and refined. The textures and technique are impeccable. And, let’s be honest, they’re freaking beautiful. His wife is a graphic designer, and has designed stunning cocoa butter transfers for the chocolates.

The chocolates are a mixture of classic flavours (single-origin chocolate, champagne, caramel), new-fangled exotic flavours (yuzu, Russian tea) and modern twists (strawberry balsamic caramel, rosemary caramel). And while I went through them all with a very critical eye, I don’t have a single bad thing to say. Except, maybe, that I didn’t get to try every single flavour, and that is almost tragic.